I enjoyed reading your piece about the pledge. It sparked some things for me as I was reading, so I wanted to share those thoughts. I also think you have a great opportunity to take part in some critical inquiry.
I applaud you courage to subvert the authority in your school and take a stand against having people mindlessly pledge their allegiance to anything. However, I do wonder about a couple of things. You said that you won't swear your loyalty to a piece of fabric. That's cool. I get it. I can understand that perspective. That piece of fabric means a lot to me because I've been very happy to see it flying in a foreign country because it meant I was safe. The great thing about this country is that you don't have to see it that way. But here's the thing: that's not really what the pledge is about. It's not about a piece of fabric.
You see, the pledge is about swearing loyalty to our country. You point out that you think your students would, like you, refuse to participate if they were to genuinely explore what they are saying. I guess what I'm inviting you to do is really explore those words. "I pledge allegiance to the flag, and to the Republic, for which it stands..." Here's my point. The pledge is not just to a "piece of cloth," it is a pledge of allegiance or loyalty to our county. It is a pledge of loyalty to the Republic that the flag symbolizes.
What I'm saying is this: You sleep under the blanket of freedom provided by the Republic. That freedom affords you the opportunity to dissent. If you are dissenting after really considering those words, then by all means dissent away. But, do so knowing that it is the Republic that gives you the ability to do that- not just a piece of cloth.
I think you have a great opportunity to engage in some critical inquiry with your students. You could, if you were so inclined, genuinely explore the words of the pledge. When a student asks why you don't lead it- or a student asks to lead it, you could ask why they ask their questions. Then, you could really explore the words. Everyone would be basing their decisions to pledge or not to pledge on an authentic exploration of what they are saying. The words would then become meaningful- or they would be omitted from you daily routine. Either way, everyone would have the chance to really consider why they made the choice they did.
Just my two cents. I really enjoyed your piece. Excellent food for thought.
Trevor
2 comments:
Trevor,
You’ll be happy to know that my hero, Frank Miller, agrees with you. For an amazing discussion of “That Old Piece of Cloth” check the link out. Be warned, I cry every time I listen to this. Actually, my eyes are tearing up right now thinking about it.
Every year, I swear an oath to uphold The Constitution, and I do so without hesitation. Many people may sign the oath without thinking because the State of Georgia requires all teachers to swear a loyalty oath in order to get paid. I don’t know what I would do if I disagreed with the statement, but seeing as I have no problem upholding the Constitution of the U.S. and the State of Georgia, it isn’t an issue. I proudly sign that oath. I love this country and the freedoms it affords me. I know how lucky and spoiled I am to be able to safely have this conversation without fear of retribution. I mean, the worst thing that can happen to me is that I piss off the teacher whose class I’m typing this blog post during. That rocks! God bless America! However, I have no love for the pledge.
First, the pledge is rooted in a history and philosophy of assimilation that I not only disagree with, but am ashamed of. Richard Ellis’s book To the Flag provides a great history of the document. If you want a briefer exploration, check out the Fresh Air interview Or, for the Cliff’s Notes version, the Wikipedia page.
Finally, when I say the pledge, I’m not pledging allegiance to America, I’m pledging allegiance to the flag. I have real problem allying myself with the symbol and not my nation. I would have a harder time not saying “I pledge allegiance to the United States of America, one nation, under god, with liberty and justice for all.” Actually, I could probably mindlessly repeat that every day. However, when the pledge is to the symbol and not the nation. . . I question that. I guess I’m glad that the pledge is written the way it is so that it opens it up to be questioned by me more easily. I would have a harder time defending our first amendment right if one said they wouldn’t be loyal to our nation. Not being loyal to our flag is easy, to our nation. . . that might be treason.
I have often questioned and even scoffed the fetishist mentality toward flags (you know, not letting it touch the ground, saluting and folding it.)
When I was young, I was fan of the Who, and I remember being struck when I read the outrage they caused by wrapping themselves in the Union Jack for a photo shoot or making jackets out of the design. I seem to remember that it was the military officers who objected most.
Maybe the empowerment of the symbol comes from the battlefield, where the flag comes to represent something very tangible: if the flag is still upright, the army is still upright; we are still alive, and hope persists.
Back to the Who, Townshend wrote a song for It's Hard called I've Known No War. Neither have I, and maybe that's the source of my skepticism; I've never attached the flag to any immediate, vital hope. Rather, it's always been an abstraction to me.
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